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Fairmont Hot Springs mudslide traps 300 at RV park

300 people remain trapped at an RV park near the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort in the East Kootenay region of southeastern B.C., due to a massive mudslide that rolled through the area at 4:30 PM Mountain Time on Sunday.

The mudslide swept down a creek bed through the popular resort town north of Cranbrook, closing Highway 93/95 for several hours and washing out the road.

A lifeguard working at the town's hot spring pools noticed the water was getting murky and sounded the alarm, according to Wendy Booth, a director with the East Kootenay Regional District.

The mudslide flooded the Fairmont resort, its golf course and forced the evacuation of a number of homes in the affected area.

Doug Clovechok watched the torrent of water, mud, boulders, logs and at least one car rush past one resort and take out another down the road.

"There's millions of dollars of damage done here to the resort and it's beyond belief," said Clovechok.

Search and rescue manager Ian Cunnings said about 100 people were displaced, but so far there have been no reports of major injuries or people missing.

"There have been subjects rescued by the fire department as well as by [search and rescue] resources using rope and helicopter," said Cunnings.

The highway was eventually reopened, but a bridge on the only road in and out of the RV park has yet to be repaired, leaving about 300 campers stranded.

- With files from the CBC